Round 3: Florida State RB Cam Akers
5-10, 217 – Junior – 4.47

PREVIOUS PICK: Virginia CB Bryce Hall

Tampa Bay finishes out Day 2 by staying on offense and getting another weapon for Tom Brady in Akers, a multi-purpose running back that can make big plays carrying the ball or catching it. Akers had a pair of 1,000-yard seasons at Florida State running behind one of the worst offensive lines in college football. He also didn’t have the benefit of good quarterback play and a consistent passing attack, which meant teams would often stack the box against the Seminoles on early downs to stuff the run and attempt to stymie Akers.

Yet his talent shone through and he totaled 27 touchdowns on the ground for the Seminoles, even taking some snaps as a Wildcat QB near the goal line. Akers is an urgent, decisive, north-south runner with tremendous balance. He’s a great runner between the tackles and works the middle of the field well. There isn’t much hesitation to his game, and he picked up a lot of yards after deploying a wicked stiff arm.

Akers, who was one of the top high school recruits in the nation, had 11 100-yard games at Florida State. He showcased his 4.47 speed with eight runs of 40 yards or more in his three years as a Seminole.

Akers’ Florida State Career Rushing Stats
2017: 194 rushes for 1,025 yards (5.3 avg.), 7 TDs
2018: 161 rushes for 706 yards (4.4 avg.), 6 TDs
2019: 231 rushes for 1,144 yards (5.0 avg.), 14 TDs

Akers’ Florida State Career Receiving Stats
2017: 16 rec. for 116 yards (7.3 avg.), TD
2018: 23 rec. for 145 yards (6.3 avg.), 2 TDs
2019: 30 rec. for 225 yards (7.5 avg.), 4 TDs

Where Akers appeals to the Bucs is as a receiver where he showed a really good feel for the screen game and he lowers his shoulder and lowers the boom on defensive backs that try to tackle him. The Seminoles star showed he could line up at wide receiver and run routes, and has some similarities to former Arizona multi-purpose back David Johnson. Akers can even line up at quarterback and throw bubble screens, as well as throwing the ball downfield with accuracy on halfback passes.

Akers, who had a formal interview with the Bucs in Indianapolis, would be a perfect team fit if he is still on the board at No. 76. General manager Jason Licht may have to move up in the third round to get Akers if he is indeed the targeted player in Round 3.

Drafting Akers would give the Bucs another starting-caliber running back to compete with Ronald Jones II, in addition to a better receiving back that could contend for Dare Ogunbowale’s status as the team’s third down back.

CLICK BELOW FOR THE BUCS’ NEXT DRAFT PICK